The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-07
Embarrassments That Will Result from the
Failure of Important Measures-Congres-
si0nal Practices That Lack Wisdom.
The President Makes Lavish Use of
His Power in Releasing Conyicts.
A Submarine Torpedo Which Is Expected to
Destroy the Heaviest Ironclads-Items Of
Miscellaneous Washington News.
THE LATE CONGRESS.

Criticism of the President-The Custom of
Holding Back Important Legislation.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 6-Echoes from the
Forty-ninth Congress will be heard for some
time yet There were many disappointments in
the wind-up of the session, and a great deal OF
embarrassment will follow in many quarters.
The President is blamed by many for the failure
of measures which were unobjectionable to every
one, and which were left to die on account of
seeming carelessness. Bitter comment is made
on the Presidents refusal to go to the Capitol,
as all Of his predecessors did, during the last
twenty four hours of the session and wait upon
Congress. Great inconvenience was expert
| enced because of the distance between the chief
executive and the lawmakers during the clos
ing hours of the session. the friends of the
President justify his action by saying that if he
was President for another term and steadily re-
fused to go TO tie Capitol to see the Congresses
die, and continued TO let important measures
perish because of delay in final action he would
work revolution in legislation which would be
blessing. 1t is true that much vicious leSisla-
ton has been worked through by designing mon,
| and has secured the signature of Presidents.
| which would have been vetoed had there been
! time given to make proper examination. In
doubleday it will cost the country something to
teach the lawmakers the unwisdom of their
practices The bills which are designed to be-
| come laws are held back for the sole purpose of
showing them in to cut out measures which the
| predominant party does not desire passed. The
| House committee on appropriations has con-
! troed legislation for of years, and it has
| worked many hardshps upon the people by it,
| Chairman Randall has welded more general in
fuence in legislation than the President with all
| the official patronage at his command
| AS head of this committee, he has
had control in spite of the Speaker
and rybody else. And yet the Speaker
continues TO keen Mr.. Randall at the head of the
committee But this is to cater to the dem and
of the protective wing of the party-a wing
| which is in no sense in sympathy with Mr.. Car
| isle The defeat of the various meritorious
measures on their final passage, and the failure
of q numbe of measures to become laws after
they had passed both houses can be laid at the
door of Mr.. Randall in the first instance and
that of the President in the second instance 1t
is intimated that Mr. Carlisle has grown weary
of this thing, and that he will not put Mr.. Ran
dali at the head of the committee on appropria-
tons should he be reelected Speaker. If, how
ever. the President by his innovation of re-
fusng to 60 to the Capitol during the last hours
|
| men who have held back privileged matter to
control legislation, put stop to this vicious
practice, the injustice it will work will moro
than be repaired by the good done.
There were broad grins around the Capitol on
Friday morning when the signature of the
President to the fisheries bill was known to
have been attached promptly. It was notorious
that the administration did everything it could
to defeat this measure, and that Chairman Bel
mont, Of the House committee on foreign affairs,
was working for the administration when he
substituted his own bill for that of the Senate
under the impression that it would result in the
defeat of any bill the subject. And his
scheme would have been successful had not the
House overthrow him and his report and sub
stitutad the bill which passed the Senate. When
finally the bill reached the President he was
sQuarely confronted with the proposition of
friendship or hostility to the subject. and as he
could not maintain the position before the coun-
try should he daily, he took the bovine by the
horns and attached his signature readily as il
he heartily favored it.